The Sherwood Shores Water Quality Action Committee was formed by a resident who has lived in the Sherwood Shores community for approximately five years. Prior to moving here, I lived in the Plano and Dallas areas, where water quality was consistently safe and well maintained. Daily activities such as bathing, washing hair, doing laundry, brushing teeth, and providing water for pets were never a concern. Clean water was expected and reliable.
That expectation ended after moving to Sherwood Shores.
Since relocating, I have become chronically ill and began hearing similar accounts from neighbors. This issue did not begin with me. Residents have been filing complaints, submitting reports, and raising concerns with water providers and regulatory agencies for many years. These concerns have repeatedly gone unresolved, minimized, or ignored. The problem has not been a lack of reporting. It has been a lack of accountability.
The Sherwood Shores Water Quality Action Committee exists to ensure these concerns are no longer forgotten or pushed aside.
Over the years, residents have contacted Southwest Water Corporation, later acquired by Texas Water Utilities and now operating under the Nexus Water umbrella. Complaints have also been filed with the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ). When TCEQ has tested the water at my home, chlorine levels have consistently been elevated. The chlorine odor is often strong enough to be smelled directly from the tap.
Typical residential drinking water is generally maintained between approximately 0.2 and 0.4 parts per million (ppm) of chlorine, with higher levels occurring only temporarily. During the most recent TCEQ visit to my home, the chlorine level measured 3.0 ppm. Every documented visit has shown readings of 1.8 ppm or higher.
As a result of ongoing exposure, I and others have experienced serious respiratory symptoms. In my case, I now require breathing treatments and have developed COPD-like symptoms that did not exist prior to moving to Sherwood Shores. To mitigate exposure, I have spent an estimated $10,000 to $20,000 on bottled water, filtration systems, and protective measures. Even Culligan has stated that chlorine levels at this magnitude cannot be adequately treated with standard residential filtration systems.
I am currently working with Shelley Luther’s office to pursue accountability and resolution through appropriate governmental channels. My approach is deliberate, documented, and ongoing. I encourage residents to request proper chlorine testing through Texas Water Utilities, file formal complaints, and document results. I also conduct independent testing and am creating a public record to show that chlorine levels remain elevated on a daily basis.
Sherwood Shores is not geographically isolated. Nearby neighborhoods served by Northwest Water, often just streets away, receive water that is well maintained and safe. The contrast is unmistakable. Those systems are properly managed. The question is straightforward: if resources exist and neighboring communities receive safe water, why are Sherwood Shores residents subjected to excessive chlorine exposure while paying the same rates?
The impact of this water is not theoretical. It affects every hour of every day.
I spend approximately one hour every day producing usable water. I run a reverse osmosis system solely to generate water for basic tasks such as brushing my teeth. I also filter some water through a Berkey filtration system to further reduce chlorine for rinsing food. After that, the water often goes into an additional container or treatment process. This is not optional. It is the only way I can function. I however suffer with washing hands, showering or doing basic tasks indoors or outdoors.
The number of water bottles in my home is difficult to comprehend. Bottled water is not just for drinking. It is required for:
Brushing teeth
Washing hair
Rinsing fruits and vegetables
Cooking
Giving water to pets
Any activity involving skin contact
Every aspect of daily life revolves around avoiding chlorine exposure. The cost is constant and ongoing.
Showering is particularly dangerous. When I shower, I must crack the bathroom door open due to chlorine fumes. Even with precautions, I often require a breathing treatment afterward due to respiratory distress. This did not occur before moving to Sherwood Shores.
My clothing has been completely ruined. Fabrics are bleached, discolored, and degraded from repeated exposure to chlorinated water. Despite this, residents are continuously told that this is “good quality water.” It is not.
Water that cannot be safely used for bathing, washing clothes, brushing teeth, or caring for animals is not safe water, regardless of how it is classified on paper.
Drinking water in the United States is governed by federal and state law. While chlorine is permitted as a disinfectant, its use is strictly regulated, and public water systems are legally required to protect residents from harmful long-term exposure.
The Safe Drinking Water Act (42 U.S.C. § 300f et seq.), administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, requires public water systems to ensure water is safe for continuous, long-term consumption. This includes using the minimum disinfectant necessary and avoiding excessive exposure that may cause illness or injury.
Federal regulation sets a Maximum Residual Disinfectant Level for chlorine at 4.0 ppm. This is a legal ceiling, not a target. Water systems are expected to operate well below this level under normal conditions and adjust treatment practices when residents experience adverse health effects.
Chronic readings between approximately 1.8 and 3.0 ppm, particularly when documented repeatedly, may indicate improper system operation or failure to optimize treatment.
Water utilities are required to follow approved treatment techniques. Over-chlorination used as a substitute for proper maintenance, flushing, or infrastructure repair may constitute a treatment technique violation.
Utilities are required to provide accurate and complete Consumer Confidence Reports, including disclosure of disinfectant levels and potential health risks, particularly for vulnerable populations. Failure to adequately disclose chronic high chlorine exposure may violate federal transparency requirements.
Texas enforces drinking water protections through the Texas Health and Safety Code and Texas Administrative Code. These laws require public water systems to protect public health, properly maintain infrastructure, and correct conditions that may cause illness or injury.
Persistent elevated chlorine levels, repeated complaints, documented health impacts, and lack of corrective action may constitute violations of Texas law.
Drinking water law does not merely prohibit catastrophic contamination. It requires water to be safe, usable, and sustainable for daily life.
Water that forces residents to avoid bathing, rely on bottled water for basic hygiene, suffer respiratory illness, destroy clothing, and spend thousands of dollars to protect themselves is not compliant with the spirit or intent of the law.
This committee exists to document these conditions, ensure enforcement of existing regulations, and protect the fundamental right to safe water for the Sherwood Shores community.
This is only the beginning. The issue will be documented, elevated, and shared until accountability is achieved.